Four in a row for ace Gallacher

10:37am Wed May 18, 2011

The curtain was brought down on the Newark and District Double Board Darts League’s Premiership season at the Castle and Falcon with the end of season play-offs to determine the singles champion.

The opening match saw Pete Baldwin go 2-0 ahead against Kevin Oxberry before the 2005 runner-up fought back to level the match. In a tense final leg both players had opportunities to clinch their semi-final place, but it was Baldwin who held his nerve to seal victory with double two.

Another close encounter followed with 2007 champion Mick Pitchford up against first-time qualifier David Jones. The match ebbed and flowed before again reaching a final leg decider and, after Pitchford had missed double ten, it was Jones who tasted victory with a double 16.

Another debutant claimed victory in a terrific match between Brian Coughill and Nev Squires. The opening three legs of a high-scoring and closely-fought tie saw Coughill lead 2-0 before Squires reduced the deficit in the next. The fourth and ultimately final leg saw Squires leave himself on 94 but the chance to level the match never came as Coughill checked out on 76.

The last quarter-final saw four-time and reigning champion Paul Gallacher ease past Phil Binns in a repeat of the 2009 final. Binns, unable to find his best form, struggled to compete against Gallacher’s consistently high scoring, and the reigning champion clinched a 3-0 win with an 80 finish.

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